Moving picture screen



Feb. 28, 1933. J, L CASS ET AL 1,898,995

MOVING PICTURE SCREEN Filed D60. 5, 1930 INVENTORS JOHN L. CASS mvo AT'ToNg www Patented Feb. 28, 1933 '"ifUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN L. CASS, OF GARDEN CITY, AND BARTON XRE'UZER, OF ROCKAWAY PARK, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS TO RADIO CORPORATION OF AMERICA, A CORPORATION OF DELA- WARE ' MOVING PICTURE SCREEN Application led December 5, 1930. Serial No. 500,172.

In the common practicein talking motion picture arrangements, some of the sound reproducers are located to the rear of the movle screen. This necessitates that the screen be of such material that the sound may be trans- I' This militates against providing a screen sufficiently thin to transmit the sound. p

It is the object of the present invention to provide a screen so constructed so that it will not only properly transmit the sound from the sound reproducing apparatus located there behind, but will be of a durable and substantial character, and not subject to ripple in the Wind.\

A further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved talking motion picture screen. f

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved talking motion picture screen Whereinfthe sound is adapted to be transmitted therethrough substantially undiminished in volume.

A still further'object of this invention is to provide a motion picture screen which shall be durable and may be readily folded for storage, etc.

These and further objects of our invention will become apparent from the following specification taken in connection with the appended drawing.

In accomplishing our invention a relatively thin screen material'of the usual type having small holes for the transmission of sound made therethrough is utilized, and is backed up by a series of reinforcing strips forming a supporting network which will interfere only slightly with the transmission of the v sound through the screen. and yet may beA stretched tightly to thoroughly support the surface fabric.

Having thus briefiy described' our invention, attention is invited to the accompany-V ing drawing in which;

Fig. 1 is an enlarged view of a portion of the movie screen constructed in accordance with our invention;

Fig. 2 is a general View of the movie screen constructed in accordance with our invention;

Fig. 3 is a cross-section of one form of our ilpovie screen as taken along line 3 3 of ig. 4 is a cross-section of one form of our movie screen as taken along line 4-4 of Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is a cross-section of one form of our movie screen; and,

Fig. 6 is a cross-section of an alternative form of our movie screen. l

Attention is now invited more particularly to the drawing in which the movie screen S is shown as composed of a surface material 11 preferably of relatively thin, high quality, closely Woven, substantial cotton fabric. This screen material is sufficiently heavy to prevent any shadow or unequal illumination due to the effect of the framework or skeleton to be described hereinafter. The surface fabric 11 is perforated with a plurality of holes 13 of a dimension of preferably nd of an inch, and having a minimum group of about 60 to-the square inch. Sewn to the back of the surface material 11 is a skeleton or framework composed of hori- Y zontal and vertical strips 15 and 17 respectively. The horizontal strips are preferably sewn to the rscreen material first, and the vertical strips are sewn thereover as shown more particularly in Fig. 5. However, if

desired, the spaces between the horizontal strip 15 may be filled in with a series of filler strips 19, asshown more particularly in Fig.

6. The lskeleton or frameworkVV may be made of cotton duck material, such as number 6 cotton duck, or an equivalent braid may be used. In the event that cotton duck material 'is used, the strips are made up in double thicknesses as shown more particularly in Figs. 3 and 4, the strips being doubled along both marginal portions and the joint being in the middle thereof. The strip material may be dyed or otherwise colored black'or another suitable dark color to prevent its showing through the surface material. The dyed or other colored material used should preferably be of a fast character to prevent fading or running under any conditions of wind or weather.

Stretched around the entire outside of the screen is an outside border 21'of heavy cotton duck overlapping the skeleton members and sewn thereto. In this border 21 are provided the usual grommets 23 for the purpose of fastening the screen to its frame. Tle metal grommets 23 utilized should be of such material as to be non-corrosive under different atmospheric conditions.

In sewing the strips to the picture fabric, and also in sewing the border material 2l to the screen, care must be taken to prevent grouping of stitching from forming a pattern.

Having thus .described our invention, attention is invited to the fact that various modifications may be made therein, and that we are, therefore, not to bel limited to the specic embodiment shown and described for the purpose ofillustration only, but by the actual scope of our invention as set forth and determined in the appended claims.

We claim:

l. A talking motion picture screen comprising a thin surface material, perforated for the transmission of sound therethrough. spaced reinforcing stripsfs'ewn horiz ntally on the back of said material, space filler strips sewn vertically between the said horizontal strips, verticalreinforcing strips superposed on said horizontal strips and over said vertical filler strips, a border material attached to said screen and overlapping the y ends of said vertical and horizontal strips, and metallic grommets in said border material for permitting the rigging of said screen.

2. A talking motion picture screen comprising a thin surface material perforated for the transmission of sound therethrough, spaced reinforcing strips sewn horizontally on the back of said material, spaced vertical strips sewnover said horizontal strips, a border material sewn around said screen and overlapping the ends of said vertical and horizontal strips, and metallic grommets in said border material for permitting therigging of said screen.

3. A .talking motion picture` screen comprising a thin surface jmaterial, perforated for the transmission of sound therethrough, spaced reinforcing strips attached horizontally on the back of said material, spaced vertical strips attached to said material over prising a thin sound-transmitting surface material, spaced reinforcing strips sewn 

